The Higher Education Appreciation Day - Working for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE) program was established by the Mississippi Legislature to annually honor the scholastically talented students and exceptional faculty members of Mississippi's higher education institutions. The goal of the program is to recognize and thank these remarkable individuals for their commitment to the future of the State of Mississippi.

HEADWAE Appreciation Day is enormously significant in that it provides an opportunity for Mississippi colleges and universities to showcase and honor their best. Each year, member institutions of the Mississippi Association of Colleges and Universities (MAC), select a student and faculty member to be recognized during Appreciation Day Activities. The honorees are students who have excelled academically and faculty members who have made extraordinary educational and civic contributions on campuses and in their communities.

Appreciation Day activities include honoree recognition by political and corporate groups, educators from public and independent MAC member institutions and others who value and support excellence in higher education. Honorees are invited to tour the State Capitol where they are welcomed by legislative officials, followed by a recognition and awards luncheon program made possible by the support and generosity of Mississippi's corporate community.